Diisatogen Di`iˇsat"oˇgen noun [ Prefix di- + isat ine + -gen .] (Chemistry) A red crystalline nitrogenous substance of artificial production, which by reduction passes directly to indigo.

Dijudicant Diˇju"diˇcant noun [ Latin dijudicans , present participle] One who dijudicates. [ R.] Wood.

Dijudicate Diˇju"diˇcate intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Dijudicated ; present participle & verbal noun Dijucating .] [ Latin dijudicatus , past participle of dijudicare to decide; di- = dis- + judicare to judge.] To make a judicial decision; to decide; to determine. [ R.] Hales.

Dijudication Diˇju`diˇca"tion noun [ Latin dijudicatio .] The act of dijudicating; judgment. [ R.] Cockeram.

Dika Di"ka noun [ Native West African name.] A kind of food, made from the almondlike seeds of the Irvingia Barteri , much used by natives of the west coast of Africa; -- called also dika bread .

Dike Dike (dī) noun [ Middle English dic , dike , diche , ditch, Anglo-Saxon dīc dike, ditch; akin to Dutch dijk dike, German deich , and probably teich pond, Icelandic dīki dike, ditch, Danish dige ; perhaps akin to Greek tei^chos (for qei^chos ) wall, and even English dough ; or perhaps to Greek ti^fos pool, marsh. Confer Ditch .] 1. A ditch; a channel for water made by digging.

Little channels or dikes cut to every bed.

Ray.

2. An embankment to prevent inundations; a levee.

Dikes that the hands of the farmers had raised . . .
Shut out the turbulent tides.

Longfellow.

3. A wall of turf or stone. [ Scot.]

4. (Geol.) A wall-like mass of mineral matter, usually an intrusion of igneous rocks, filling up rents or fissures in the original strata.

Dike Dike transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Diked ; present participle & verbal noun Diking .] [ Middle English diken , dichen , Anglo-Saxon dīcian to dike. See Dike .] 1. To surround or protect with a dike or dry bank; to secure with a bank.

2. To drain by a dike or ditch.

Dike Dike intransitive verb To work as a ditcher; to dig. [ Obsolete]

He would thresh and thereto dike and delve.

Chaucer.

Diker Dik"er noun 1. A ditcher. Piers Plowman.

2. One who builds stone walls; usually, one who builds them without lime. [ Scot.]

Dilacerate Diˇlac"erˇate transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Dilacerated ; present participle & verbal noun Dilacerating .] [ Latin dilaceratus , past participle of dilacerare to tear apart; di- = dis- + lacerare to tear.] To rend asunder; to tear to pieces. Sir T. Browne.

Dilaceration Diˇlac`erˇa"tion noun [ Latin dilaceratio : confer French dilacération .] The act of rending asunder. Arbuthnot.

Dilaniate Diˇla"niˇate transitive verb [ Latin dilaniatus , past participle of dilaniare to dilacerate; di- = dis- + laniare to tear to pieces.] To rend in pieces; to tear. [ R.] Howell.

Dilaniation Diˇla`niˇa"tion noun A rending or tearing in pieces; dilaceration. [ R.]

Dilapidate Diˇlap"iˇdate transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Dilapidated ; present participle & verbal noun Dilapidating .] [ Latin dilapidare to scatter like stones; di- = dis- + lapidare to throw stones, from lapis a stone. See Lapidary .] 1. To bring into a condition of decay or partial ruin, by misuse or through neglect; to destroy the fairness and good condition of; -- said of a building.

If the bishop, parson, or vicar, etc., dilapidates the buildings, or cuts down the timber of the patrimony.

Blackstone.

2. To impair by waste and abuse; to squander.

The patrimony of the bishopric of Oxon was much dilapidated .

Wood.

Dilapidate Diˇlap"iˇdate intransitive verb To get out of repair; to fall into partial ruin; to become decayed; as, the church was suffered to dilapidate . Johnson.

Dilapidated Diˇlap"iˇda`ted adjective Decayed; fallen into partial ruin; injured by bad usage or neglect.

A deserted and dilapidated buildings.

Cooper.

Dilapidation Diˇlap`iˇda"tion noun [ Latin dilapidatio : confer French dilapidation .] 1. The act of dilapidating, or the state of being dilapidated, reduced to decay, partially ruined, or squandered.

Tell the people that are relived by the dilapidation of their public estate.

Burke.

2. Ecclesiastical waste; impairing of church property by an incumbent, through neglect or by intention.

The business of dilapidations came on between our bishop and the Archibishop of York.

Strype.

3. (Law) The pulling down of a building, or suffering it to fall or be in a state of decay. Burrill.

Dilapidator Diˇlap"iˇda`tor noun [ Confer French dilapidateur .] One who causes dilapidation. Strype.

Dilatability Diˇla`taˇbil"iˇty noun [ Confer French dilatabilité .] The quality of being dilatable, or admitting expansion; -- opposed to contractibility . Ray.

Dilatable Diˇlat"aˇble adjective [ Confer French dilatable .] Capable of expansion; that may be dilated; -- opposed to contractible ; as, the lungs are dilatable by the force of air; air is dilatable by heat.

Dilatation Dil`aˇta"tion noun [ Middle English dilatacioun , French dilatation , Latin dilatatio , from dilatare . See Dilate , and confer 2d Dilation .] 1. Prolixity; diffuse discourse. [ Obsolete] "What needeth greater dilatation ?" Chaucer.

2. The act of dilating; expansion; an enlarging on al... sides; the state of being dilated; dilation.

3. (Anat.) A dilation or enlargement of a canal or other organ.

Dilatator Dil`aˇta"tor noun [ New Latin Confer Latin dilatator a propagator.] (Anat.) A muscle which dilates any part; a dilator.

Dilate Diˇlate" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Dilated ; present participle & verbal noun Dilating .] [ Latin dilatare ; either from di- = dis- + latus wide, not the same word as latus , used as past participle of ferre to bear (see Latitude ); or from dilatus , used as past participle of differre to separate (see Delay , Tolerate , Differ , and confer Dilatory ): confer French dilater .] 1. To expand; to distend; to enlarge or extend in all directions; to swell; -- opposed to contract ; as, the air dilates the lungs; air is dilated by increase of heat.

2. To enlarge upon; to relate at large; to tell copiously or diffusely. [ R.]

Do me the favor to dilate at full
What hath befallen of them and thee till now.

Shak.

Syn. -- To expand; swell; distend; enlarge; spread out; amplify; expatiate.

Dilate Diˇlate" intransitive verb 1. To grow wide; to expand; to swell or extend in all directions.

His heart dilates and glories in his strength.

Addison.

2. To speak largely and copiously; to dwell in narration; to enlarge; -- with on or upon .

But still on their ancient joys dilate .

Crabbe.

Dilate Diˇlate" adjective Extensive; expanded. [ Obsolete] B. Jonson.

Dilated Diˇlat"ed adjective 1. Expanded; enlarged. Shak.

2. (Botany) Widening into a lamina or into lateral winglike appendages.

3. (Zoology) Having the margin wide and spreading.

Dilatedly Diˇlat"edˇly adverb In a dilated manner. Feltham.

Dilater Diˇlat"er noun One who, or that which, dilates, expands, or enlarges.

Dilation Diˇla"tion noun [ Latin dilatio . See Dilatory .] Delay. [ Obsolete] Bp. Hall.

Dilation Diˇla"tion noun [ From dilate , v., confer Dilatation , Dilator .] The act of dilating, or the state of being dilated; expansion; dilatation. Mrs. Browning.

At first her eye with slow dilation rolled.

Tennyson.

A gigantic dilation of the hateful figure.

Dickens.

Dilative Diˇlat"ive adjective Causing dilation; tending to dilate, on enlarge; expansive. Coleridge.

Dilatometer Dil`aˇtom"eˇter noun [ Dilate + -meter .] (Physiol.) An instrument for measuring the dilatation or expansion of a substance, especially of a fluid.

Dilator Diˇlat"or noun [ See Dilate .] 1. One who, or that which, widens or expands.

2. (Anat.) A muscle that dilates any part.

3. (Medicine) An instrument for expanding a part; as, a urethral dilator .

Dilatorily Dil"aˇtoˇriˇly adverb With delay; tardily.

Dilatoriness Dil"aˇtoˇriˇness noun The quality of being dilatory; lateness; slowness; tardiness; sluggishness.

Dilatory Dil"aˇtoˇry adjective [ Latin dilatorius , from dilator a delayer, from dilatus , used as past participle of differe to defer, delay: confer French dilatoire . See Dilate , Differ , Defer .] 1. Inclined to defer or put off what ought to be done at once; given the procrastination; delaying; procrastinating; loitering; as, a dilatory servant.

2. Marked by procrastination or delay; tardy; slow; sluggish; -- said of actions or measures.

Alva, as usual, brought his dilatory policy to bear upon his adversary.

Motley.

Dilatory plea (Law) , a plea designed to create delay in the trial of a cause, generally founded upon some matter not connected with the merits of the case.

Syn. -- Slow; delaying; sluggish; inactive; loitering; behindhand; backward; procrastinating. See Slow .

Dildo Dil"do noun A burden in popular songs. [ Obsolete]

Delicate burthens of dildos and fadings.

Shak.

Dildo Dil"do noun (Botany) A columnar cactaceous plant of the West Indies ( Cereus Swartzii ).

Dilection Diˇlec"tion noun [ Latin dilectio : dilection . See Diligent .] Love; choice. [ Obsolete] T. Martin.

Dilemma Diˇlem"ma noun [ Latin dilemma , Greek ...; di- = di`s- twice + ... to take. See Lemma .] 1. (Logic) An argument which presents an antagonist with two or more alternatives, but is equally conclusive against him, whichever alternative he chooses.

» The following are instances of the dilemma . A young rhetorician applied to an old sophist to be taught the art of pleading, and bargained for a certain reward to be paid when he should gain a cause. The master sued for his reward, and the scholar endeavored to ...lude his claim by a dilemma . "If I gain my cause, I shall withhold your pay, because the judge's award will be against you; if I lose it, I may withhold it, because I shall not yet have gained a cause." "On the contrary," says the master, "if you gain your cause, you must pay me, because you are to pay me when you gain a cause; if you lose it, you must pay me, because the judge will award it." Johnson.

2. A state of things in which evils or obstacles present themselves on every side, and it is difficult to determine what course to pursue; a vexatious alternative or predicament; a difficult choice or position.

A strong dilemma in a desperate case!
To act with infamy, or quit the place.

Swift.

Horns of a dilemma , alternatives, each of which is equally difficult of encountering.

Dilettant Dil"etˇtant` adjective Of or pertaining to dilettanteism; amateur; as, dilettant speculation. Carlyle.

Dilettant Dil`etˇtant" noun A dilettante.

Though few art lovers can be connoisseurs, many are dilettants .

Fairholt.

Dilettante Dil`etˇtan"te noun ; plural Dilettanti . [ Italian , prop. present participle of dillettare to take delight in, from Latin delectare to delight. See Delight , transitive verb ] An admirer or lover of the fine arts; popularly, an amateur; especially, one who follows an art or a branch of knowledge, desultorily, or for amusement only.

The true poet is not an eccentric creature, not a mere artist living only for art, not a dreamer or a dilettante , sipping the nectar of existence, while he keeps aloof from its deeper interests.

J. C. Shairp.

Dilettanteish Dil`etˇtan"teˇish adjective Somewhat like a dilettante.

Dilettanteism Dil`etˇtan"teˇism noun The state or quality of being a dilettante; the desultory pursuit of art, science, or literature.

Dilettantish Dil`etˇtant"ish adjective Dilettanteish.

Dilettantism Dil`etˇtant"ism noun Same as Dilettanteism . F. Harrison.

Diligence Dil"iˇgence noun [ French diligence , Latin diligentia .] 1. The quality of being diligent; carefulness; careful attention; -- the opposite of negligence .

2. Interested and persevering application; devoted and painstaking effort to accomplish what is undertaken; assiduity in service.

That which ordinary men are fit for, I am qualified in; and the best of me is diligence .

Shak.

3. (Scots Law) Process by which persons, lands, or effects are seized for debt; process for enforcing the attendance of witnesses or the production of writings.

To do one's diligence , give diligence , use diligence , to exert one's self; to make interested and earnest endeavor.

And each of them doth all his diligence
To do unto the festé reverence.

Chaucer.

Syn. -- Attention; industry; assiduity; sedulousness; earnestness; constancy; heed; heedfulness; care; caution. -- Diligence , Industry . Industry has the wider sense of the two, implying an habitual devotion to labor for some valuable end, as knowledge, property, etc. Diligence denotes earnest application to some specific object or pursuit, which more or less directly has a strong hold on one's interests or feelings. A man may be diligent for a time, or in seeking some favorite end, without meriting the title of industrious . Such was the case with Fox, while Burke was eminent not only for diligence , but industry ; he was always at work, and always looking out for some new field of mental effort.

The sweat of industry would dry and die,
But for the end it works to.

Shak.

Diligence and accuracy are the only merits which an historical writer ascribe to himself.

Gibbon.

Diligence Di`liˇgence" noun [ French] A four-wheeled public stagecoach, used in France.

Diligency Dil"iˇgenˇcy noun [ Latin diligentia .] Diligence; care; persevering endeavor. [ Obsolete] Milton.

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